Fate Impending Doom
by syur2598
Summary: The Fate/Zero plotline with alternate characters for Caster and Ryuunosuke. Not the best summary in the universe, I know.
1. Prologue Part 1: Getting Hired

**A/N: Greetings! This is my first fanfic so, hehe... A few notes from the author before you decide to continue.** **I have watched (and/or have read) Fate/Zero, Fate/Strange Fake and Fate/Kaleid Liner but** **I honestly don't know all that there is to know about the Fate series and the Fate universe so if there are things that are not consistent, please let me know. (Nicely, if possible, please.)**

 **There will be two main OC characters who will be replacing Ryuunosuke and Caster (I really wish those two characters were given more screen time.) So, because there are two new characters who may or may not be somewhat aligned with the original, there will be some shifts in the plot. However, I will try my best to stick with the original as much as possible.**

 **I really don't know how often I will be able to update due to schoolwork but I will try to get an update at least twice a month.**

 **Anyways, I can't think of anything else to warn you about. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think; it will be most appreciated. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Prologue Part 1: Getting Hired**

Three Years before the Fourth Holy Grail War, Iranian Kurdistan

 _lā ʾilāha ʾillā-llāh, muḥammadur-rasūlu-llāh._

 _There is no other god but Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah._

Standing in one of the most beautiful mosques in Iran, Senja Novak recited the confession of a faith she did not believe in. She looked at the intricate designs of gold and blue starting from the bottom, climbing like vines through the pillars and culminated at the ceiling. She wondered how much time people spend on designing these walls. And all this effort for what? To appease a god that supposedly created them for some inexplicable reason? Who were they trying to fool? At least the temple wasn't decorated with stained glasses with a racially inaccurate depiction of Jesus or Virgin Mary.

In Romania, earlier that year, she visited a cathedral she was ordered to destroy when it was filled with those opposed to Nicolae Ceausescu's dictatorship. During her visit, she sat silently in one of the pews and tried to keep her reverence to the iconic figure. She sat with her back straight and neatly folded her hands on her lap. She even gave the church the courtesy to leave her gun at her base. She tilted her head to the side as she met with the image of Jesus judging her. Those incorrect green eyes of the depiction looked at her with inhumane coldness and distance. And this one was supposedly the savior of the world?

 _You look at me with those eyes,_ She thought. _But what will you do about it?_

That very night, those eyes were dripping as they were being destroyed with fire, the screams of human lambs. At the powerlessness of the image, she let out a smile of mockery and satisfaction.

 _You are no savior._

As the other true believers of Allah bowed, Senja also followed their actions. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. What exactly was she trying to do in a Muslim temple? Why Allah out of all the deities that people believed in? She kneeled and pressed her forehead against the carpet as the others did the same. The God of the Christians was too complicated to understand and Romania made her realize the futility of God. The Buddhists didn't even believe in a deity but wanted to achieve a state of enlightenment which did not satisfy Senja either. Hindus believed in way too many. She sat up and smiled in defiance. She chose to provoke Allah because he was the cruelest. His idea of his mercy and his compassion was false. The things he made his followers reflected his nature. There was no mercy in the mind of Allah. In Allah's idea of absolute justice, he would never forgive her sins and punish her thoroughly. It comforted her that in that world, evil is not permissible.

 _Punish me._ She challenged him.

* * *

As she left the mosque, she decided that she should head towards where her employers were located. The winds howled cruelly and it blew the light blue chador Senja wore in all directions. No matter how many times Senja Novak walked through the dusty, arid roads of desert countries, she always got sand into her eyes. She decided that if she received another job in a desert area again, she would definitely wear a burka then and defeat the sand blown by the wind. Not that this was her first time in the Middle East. The civil strife in the general area was anything but unfamiliar. The smell of gunpowder beckoned her to her natural environment and she felt a bitterly warm welcoming feeling when she saw the bodies heaped against a crumbling building. The bodies were intertwined with the opposing parties. There were some well-groomed soldiers with oblivious teenage boys armed with inadequate weapons.

She heard some yelling and as she turned around, she saw a few Kurdish soldiers yelling at her. They were waving their rifles in the air claiming that she was walking in a dangerous zone that was not fit for women and that she should go back to her husband. Senja narrowed her eyes dangerously as she observed the soldiers. If they knew who she was, would they have yelled at her like that? No. Without a doubt, they would bow at her feet, begging her to help them accomplish their goal, whatever it was. Pity she was hired by the Iranian Government and she had already been paid.

As she thought this, she found herself dragging two more bodies to the heap of corpses she had seen earlier. A pack of cigarettes fell out of one of the soldiers' pocket. Malboro. Cheap but doable. She would consider it another welcoming present for her job. She unconsciously patted her concealed pockets and realized that she did not have a lighter with her. She then looked at the body the pack fell from.

It didn't take her very long to find a lighter. And she made sure bodies were rearranged just the way she had found them. It was the least she could do.

* * *

 _Oh, how my sins are adding._ She thought as she exhaled a cloud of smoke and walked through an empty alley. She was told that the one-story building would be white with a dark brown door. She found it with ease. She tapped her floor with her feet as she pulled out the last cigarette of the box. She put it in her mouth and hesitated when the fire approached the cigarette. She put the cigarette back in the box, deciding that she would need it to relax after her deal was complete. As she pushed the brown door, she navigated her way through a long narrow passage. Though it might have sounded empty, Senja could hear two different male voices speaking Farsi.

"I hope you are aware that this was costly, Farhi."

"It might have been but Senja Novak is the most proficient one to hire for this kind of job, Abdullah, you know that."

"Besides Kiritsugu Emiya?"

"That man's methods are too unpredictable for this. Additionally, he stopped his works almost five years ago."

"But I am still not sure how this woman will guarantee us any victory." Senja rolled her eyes at the comment. It wasn't the first time she heard such a bias but it could be her last. "She is barely 21. She is just a few years older than my Laila."

"Age does not matter," Farhi responded, "She has proven herself time and time again that she is more than capable of such jobs. She is not known as the 'Immortal Soldier' for no reason. Just look at all her successful job at the Al-Anfal Campaign. It also involved the Kurds and also other minorities. Joseph Kony must have hired her too. I would not be surprised if the United States did not hire for her to do some dirty job."

"But—"

"Stop your complaining, Abdullah. We've already paid the fee and we will not resort to child soldiers. It will reflect poorly on us when we crush the rebellion."

Senja had heard enough. She roughly pushed the door open and observed the room. Two heads turned towards her in surprise. Immediately she thought that there was too much white on the wall. It was offensive. How dare they disguise their greed and their abomination with the color of purity? She made herself comfortable in the couch that was positioned across the two men. She removed the chador that was covering her short black hair. Beneath the chador, she was wearing a light blue button down with black pants and dark brown ankle boots.

She ruffled her short, boyish hair casually and crossed her legs, "Let's get down to business." She looked at the two shocked men with mild disinterest.

"Ah, Ms. Novak," One of her employers, man whose name was Farhi, composed himself quickly from the sudden intrusion and held out his hand. "We are very honored to—"

Senja's eyes narrowed dangerously as she refused to shake the man's hand. "I need more information before starting on this job."

"Of course, what would you want to know?"

"There was a surprising lack of information in this paper." She casually took out a parchment from her button down and held it between her fingers. "Apparently you have two things in mind for me?"

"Yes. These rebels have been getting out of hand. The Kurdish rebels have already launched multiple attacks on us and we are losing more soldiers than what we care to admit." Abdullah remained quiet as Farhi gave the exposition. "So, then, the job is to help us quell the rebellion, somewhat, and obtain the Holy Grail for us."

Only two words captured Senja's attention.

"The Holy Grail?"

"Ah yes, a Christian relic – that pagan religion," spat Farhi, "that claims to fulfill the wish of the winner. We have heard that from other sources that the war for this chalice is going to begin soon."

"Why do you need me in this?"

"This is a war for those familiar with the skills of magic. We could not find a more worthy candidate than you. Mages are rare in this area. As a Novak, who else is more suited than to win the Holy Grail but you?"

She scowled at the mention of her last name but she responded nonetheless. "Do you have a relic for me?"

"Ah… no. That would be your first part to this job. But as it is, we are in Iran where there are plenty of relics. Whatever hero you want, whether it is a Byzantine hero or a hero of the Persian Empire, I assure you that you can find it here. This is a historically rich country. I can even tempt you with more ancient heroes from the Assyrian Empire and the Babylonian Empire."

She nodded briefly.

"Anything else?" Abdullah inquired.

"Yes. What do you know about the other possible participants?"

"It's obvious that the three houses, Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Matou will be involved. Except for Einzberns who are located in Germany, the other families are located in Japan, where the war will take place."

To be perfectly honest, Senja was impressed by the information she was being supplied with. She didn't expect the two employers to be so well-informed about such matters.

 _They must be desperate… to be hiring a mercenary to fetch a mystical object with dubious power._

But she had heard of the Grail and she wanted it too.

"What are you planning to do with the Grail?" She asked. The answer to this question was paramount.

"That is no concern of yours, mercenary. Nor is it important for you to know." Abdullah responded coldly.

"I see." She shrugged nonchalantly, "Who else knows that I was hired? I remember specifically requesting absolute discretion."

"We did not tell anyone." Farhi responded too quickly. She silently observed their eyes. Then she closed her eyes, trying to listen to their breathing patterns.

"Tell me the truth." She said with patience, "Who else knows?"

"We assure you, Ms. Novak, that there is no other individual that is aware of your involvement."

"You're still lying." She stood up abruptly, pulling out a gun, she fired a shot, "Now, one more opportunity. Who else knows about you hiring me for the Grail?"

The two men looked at each other nervously. They obviously needed some form of persuasion.

"This is your last opportunity. You should know more than anyone that my body is enhanced. My basic senses are far superior to yours. I can see your pupils dilate and I can hear you breathing patterns become irregular when you lie." She said, "Now, your answer?"

The two men nodded at each other. Senja gave a benevolent smile. As Farhi was about to give her the information she wanted, she took out a mobile phone and handed it to Abdullah, "Bring them all here."

* * *

 _Not as many as I thought._ Senja thought as she cracked her neck. She stretched her arms high in the air as she sat on a couch. She surveyed the small room, satisfied at the new décor of red stains. It started with two men but Senja had all those involved come in and she eliminated them all. She expected at least fifteen other participants. There were only eleven. She was wondering if she would have to eliminate their families when a small whimper of pain interrupted her plans and caught her attention. She looked at the source of the whimper. It was the bastard who had hired her. Farhi, was it?

"What…have…" he rasped in pain, "What…are you…doing?"

Was he feeling betrayed? Why did she decide to kill them all? He had paid her and everything. Why was he in such a predicament?

There is no complicated reasoning behind her thinking. She simply did not like the job, or at least the first part of the job. She was done with killing innocent people who are brave enough to stand for their ideology. And secondly, she wanted the Holy Grail for herself. She had been looking for information for a while and she happened to get very lucky. She wouldn't let the opportunity slide. And lastly, this was going to be her last job. It was her deepest desire to make her last job the best one for the world.

And so she shared her mind, "I want the Grail too."

The man tried to growl in anger but then cough in pain.

A sense of unknown regret overcame her. For some reason, a tiny voice in the back of her head was telling her that she shouldn't have killed so rashly. She bit her lower lip. She should have tortured him a little more then killed him. _Bleeding out till dead was painful enough._ She shook her head. That makes me no different from _them._ She would not resort to torturing methods as entertainment. That reminded her too much of _them._ She absent-mindedly touched her right collarbone. On it, a number was engraved: EX-646935.

* * *

 _White pain flashed as the needle worked on her skin. She screamed uncontrollably but the needle kept drilling, obviously trying to go beyond the skin. She tried to focus as much as possible as she felt like she was being continuously stabbed. She thrashed violently but the straps on her arms and legs kept her in place. The man in a white coat held a satisfied smile as he recording the readings he was monitoring._

 _"_ _Your name?" He asked her. She turned her head slightly to the sound of his voice. Those blue murky eyes widened slightly. The man was obviously surprised by the fact that the girl was able to collect anything from her environment. He excitedly wrote something and manipulated a few gears that intensified the pain she was feeling._

 _An incoherent scream, her scream, answered his question about her name. Senja looked at the man with pleading eyes, tears endlessly flowing. There was another woman beside the man._

 _"_ _Perhaps this is too much for—" The woman responded the question. She had a soft and quiet voice._

 _"_ _Shh, Anna. This is vital for the future things I want to do."_

 _"_ _Engraving a sequence of numbers on her collarbone will do exactly what?"_

 _"_ _Your name, little girl?" He ignored her and asked the tortured girl again._

 _"_ _Se…sen…" She remembers trying to answer, suppressing her screams, "No…va…k."_

 _"_ _You see, Anna?" The man smiled gleefully, "The monitors already indicate that she is feeling less pain. This one is a very promising specimen. Send the provider the promised amount."_

 _"_ _Is she feeling less pain or is she learning to endure it?" The assistant asked bitterly._

 _"_ _Just go do what I told you." The man huffed and ignored her question. Understanding that he was being patient with the assistant, she left the room quickly._

 _"_ _Your new name, specimen," The man in the white coat continued, "is EX-646935. Now, repeat it."_

 _"_ _E…X…" The screaming resumed as the piercing pain became more acute by the moment. She couldn't remember. She didn't care about it. All she wanted was the machine to stop whirling and she wanted the needle to stop stabbing her. She tried pleading, "P..P…Plea…se."_

 _"_ _EX-646935. Repeat it." The man said firmly. She shut her eyes tightly and screamed again, a certain hatred developing deep within her._

 _He promised the girl, "If you can say it thrice correctly, without screaming, I can make this stop."_

 _At least he kept his promise._

 _Even if it took a while._

* * *

She gritted her teeth at the memory. No, she would not stoop as low as her creator and torture her victims. She was better than that.

She reloaded her gun, silently aimed for the whimper and let the room echo with a deafening boom.


	2. Prologue Part 2: Neccessary Arrangments

**Disclaimer: Fate Series belongs to its respective owners. The only thing I owe are my OC characters. (A little patience for them as the author tries to gradually unravel their existence in this fic)**

* * *

 **Prologue Part 2: Necessary Arrangements**

One Year before the Fourth Holy Grail War, Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Senja made herself comfortable on an old worn out leather couch as she observed the strange marking that appeared a few days ago. When it had appeared, she felt an uncomfortable prickling sensation but nothing else. After a few moments of the annoying sensation, a red mark began to emerge on the back of her right hand. Even since it appeared, her mood improved vastly. It was a comforting feeling that the Grail was giving her an opportunity. It trusted her enough to choose her as a Master. She tilted her head sideways and changed the angle of her hand, trying to understand exactly what the symbol was. Her initial thought was that it was unfinished. What was it? It seemed like an unfinished torch. It was made of three parts obviously. That was probably for every time she used a Command Seal. She pondered for a moment and she realized that she needed to find a relic. She let out a groan as thought of the leg work that would be required in order to find a relic. Should she rob a museum or something? She shook her head at the idea. The risk of the artifact in the museum being a fake or a replica was too high. She could just go to a historical site and find something. Maybe she could infiltrate an archaeological site somewhere around the area? Still that required physical exertion from Senja's part. In all honesty, it is not the physical exertion required that annoyed Senja but the monotonous nature of searching. There was no blood rushing into her head, no adrenaline pumping into her veins; it was just dull. She let out a sigh as she once again regretted the sudden murder of her former Iranian employers. She should have ordered them to have a relic prepared for her.

Well, I guess this is why I have a lackey. She thought as she took out her disposable mobile phone and dialed a number. She drummed her fingers on her lap as she waited for the receptor to answer the call.

She heard a click and she heard a familiar male voice answer in Spanish, "Hola?"

"Joaquin."

Though Senja considered Joaquin Rojas her lackey, both of them were fully aware that this was not the case. Joaquin was her only living associate who helped her out through multiple occasions. While she was a beta enhanced child soldier, he was an organ smuggler. He bought more and more organs from her kills because she only aimed for the head and damaged nothing else. It turned out that he himself was a mage too, a defected mage from a minor magus family from Spain. When he wasn't busy selling body parts to the black markets of the world, he was busy stealing and selling valued treasures. When she ran away from the testing area, he was the one who found her jobs. At this point of their relationship, they both hired each other for whatever suited their respective jobs. Joaquin usually hired her when he needed new bodies that the world would not mind missing and in Senja's case, it was to do things she considered boring.

"Ah, Senja." He panted. "Hace tiempo (it's been a while), no?"

Senja narrowed her eyes as she focused on the background noise she was hearing. She asked, "Are you busy?"

"Eh…" He continued panting. "The usual. You know, just fucking around."

"Yes. I can hear that." Senja scowled as she heard the moans of a woman in the background, confirming the what Joaquin was doing.

He chuckled at her annoyance, "Just give me a moment. I'm almost done."

Senja pulled the phone away from her ear and pressed her lips in disgust. She could still hear them but she would rather hear it from a distance.

"Alright, Senja, I be done." She heard his voice after a while.

"That didn't take long." She commented dryly as she hesitantly pressed the phone against her ear.

"Ey, ey. What are you implying? I can't hurt my ladies now can I?" He chuckled and added, "You know I'm a killer for exotic beauties. Like these babes in Turkey."

"You're in Turkey?"

"Si," He replied, "I was asked to get something from in Istanbul." They both knew that meant steal.

"I see." His timing could not be more excellent. She smiled at her luck.

His voice took a more serious turn, "Now then, what do you want?"

"I—"

He interrupted her, "Before that, where are you?"

"In Saudi." She responded shortly.

"Oh, so you're with the Americanos this time?"

"Not necessarily."

"I really don't care who hired you." He said, "Have you been in Iran in the past like two years?"

"Maybe."

"That explains it."

"Explains what?"

"You're wanted alive in Iran." He informed her as if it was obvious. "And it didn't seem like they wanted to hire you. What'd you do? Did you fuck up a job or something?"

"I didn't like one of the jobs I was given." She stated plainly.

"So?"

"I killed my employers."

"After receiving payment?"

"Yes."

He let out a surprised whistle and then let out a chuckle, "Only you can pull such a stunt and be alright. What are you going to do about your wanted status? The Holy Church is already after you will all their Executor-dogs."

"Not going to do much about it. The global corruption ensures my safety."

"And the Magus Association?"

"If they can condone the existence of Emiya Kiritsugu, they can tolerate mine. Additionally, these normal humans can even hold a finger against my magical abilities."

"You're such a lucky one despite your status."

She got back to business, "Anyways, I did not call you for nothing."

"I know. What do you want?"

"I was hoping that you would do this pro bono."

The line was silent for a moment. Then the phone erupted with laughter, "What? Pro bono? You?" Once again she pulled the phone away in order to prevent a possible explosion in her ear drum.

"Yes, Joaquin." She replied quietly once he stopped laughing. "You are a little expensive, you know?"

"Hija de puta, me jodes (you bastard, you're fucking)!" He continued laughing as he swore in Spanish, "Pro bono means that you're doing something good for the public. What public good are you planning? In fact, are you even capable of thinking anything beyond yourself?"

"I do public goods all the time." She defended herself. "My record speaks for myself."

"What?"

"I always was ended the conflict I was hired to take care of. And it brought peace."

"Temporarily."

"Will you take the job or not?"

"Es simpatico (It's funny)." He laughed, "I'll take it."

"Good." She took a deep breath and voiced her request. "I need you to find something for me. A historically significant artifact." She clarified further, "A real one."

"Que (what)?" He asked as if he misheard her.

"You heard me."

"Wow. What is wrong with you?"

"You have the best abilities to find things, Joaquin."

"Have you wondered, Senja," His tone was cold and reluctant, "That you might be asking for too much? You want me to find something historically significant – a very vague request; you want it for free, what else?"

"That's it."

"It's a lot for me."

"What do you want for it?"

"Hm…" He thought about it for a moment. "I don't think I've fucked you before."

"Is that the price for the job?" She tried to keep the disgust out of her voice.

"Nah. Fucking you would be like fucking a man." He dismissed the suggestion. "No soy gay."

Senja bit her lower lip. She knew he was saying such comments to irk her.

"Then what do you want?"

"I'm curious what this is about. I sense a radical change in you." He asked, "Are you dying?"

"We're all dying." Senja answered him reluctantly.

"Yes, Senja. That is true but it seems that you are dying a little more quickly than expected?"

"Get me the object and I will tell you what this is about." He could probably sense the impatience in her voice.

"By when do you want it?"

"As soon as possible." Her finger hovered over the button that would end the call.

"Dale, dale (alright, alright)." He chuckled then added, "Oh, and Senja?"

"What?"

"This better be good." And the line went dead.

* * *

-282:14:28, Germany, Einzbern Castle (Huge Time-skip)

"Ah, it's finally here." The infamous Magus Killer sighed at the sound of a light electronic machine whirled, interrupting the conversation he was having with his wife. He approached the black table where his computer and printer were messily placed.

"What is it?" His wife asked as followed him with her eyes and watched him in awe as he quickly navigated his way around the computer with the mouse and keyboard with skill.

"It's a report from someone whom I asked to infiltrate the clock tower. I asked for information of the masters who will be participating in this war." He answered her as he surveyed the information that he was given.

"Ah… About the identities of four masters?" She inquired and was answered by a short grunt from her husband. As she was getting bored by the silence, she decided to observe his face carefully and try to analyze what he was thinking as he assessed his opponents. He kept his face neutral most of the time, indicating that he already knew what would be the most effective method to deal with his opponent. Then suddenly, something registered on his face. It became serious. Tense.

"What's wrong?"

"This man, the son of Kotomine Risei…"

After approaching him, Irisviel stood behind Kiritsugu and directed her attention to where his finger was pointing on the LCD monitor. She squinted as she tried to read, "Kotomine Kirei. Born 1967, graduated in '81 from Theological College of Manresa St. Ignacio…skipped two grades…student council president." Irisviel cocked her head to the side, "He seems to be an accomplished man."

Kiritsugu nodded at her comment and gave his own opinion, "This man could have become cardinal minister but instead, he joins the Holy Church. Countless times he is given a better opportunity but he doesn't take it."

"Perhaps it's the influence of his father?" She tried to offer an explanation.

"If this was so, he would have done so from the beginning. He transfers three times and once he was appointed as an Executor when he was only ten." He countered her argument. "This only indicates a certain amount of willpower."

"Maybe he is a zealous faith fanatic." She tried again. "The younger they are, the purer."

"That is too simple for such a man. If it was by faith, he wouldn't have been moved to the Association in the first place. And even if this is an order from the Church, he has no need to train in magecraft this ardently. Look, he trained under Tohsaka Tokiomi and became more adept than his master three years ago."

"But is there a reason for you to be so worried about him? He doesn't seem very outstanding."

"That's exactly what I find strange."

Irisviel let out a sigh of confusion and waited for an explanation.

"He never fully accomplishes something. His rapid learning and achievement are solely through his efforts, which is frightening, but he never takes the final step and tosses everything he has built up as if it were trash."

After a brief moment of silence, Kiritsugu said his final assessment, "This man… is dangerous."

As Irisviel opened her mouth to further question Kiritsugu's assessment about the priest, another message popped on the LCD monitor, stating: _Fifth Master_. When Kiritsugu selected the message, his expression became tenser. There was so little information on the page that she could see Kiritsugu's furrowed eyebrows express his dissatisfaction. The information stated:

 **Name:** Senja Novak

 **Alias:** Immortal Soldier

 **Gender:** Female

 **Age:** Unknown; est. between 23 and 27

 **Height/Weight:** 164 cm (5'4'')/58 kg (127 lb)

 **Blood type:** A

 **Place of Origin:** Unknown

 **Bloodline:** Novak (assumed)

 **Element of Affinity:** Unknown

 **Occupation:** Professional Soldier

 **Note:** Enhanced Human

He scowled deeply at the information. This was almost useless. Additionally, there was a note on the bottom that claimed that this Senja Novak was rumored to have been appointed by the Grail. Why would his informant bother him with a rumor? He was grateful that the email came with at least pictures of this elusive master. He clicked open an image of a wanted poster. It dated from three years ago, Iran. Kiritsugu tilted his head to the side as he read that this woman was specifically wanted alive.

Without the information of her gender, Kiritsugu would have never guessed the master to be a woman. She did not look masculine but she didn't look obviously feminine either. She had black hair shorter than what Natalia used to have, slightly tanned skin, indicating her exposure to the sun, with clear yet indefinable gray eyes. They were the same eyes Maiya wore. Cold. Unreadable. Devoid. And at the same time, not so devoid. Perhaps it was devoid of emotions but there was definitely purpose and will in the way she gazed in the picture. He was hesitant to admit it, but it was almost as he was seeing himself in the woman.

"Oh," He heard surprise in Irisviel's voice, "I didn't expect the Novak family to participate in the war."

"This name is known among the Magus?"

"To the older families." Irisviel clarified, "The Novak family always kept themselves isolated from the world. No one knows anything about them but their prowess in their magical abilities. They expressed a very mild interest in the idea of the Holy Grail but withdrew from it, saying they did not want a part of the conflict."

"So, the Novak predicted that the three founders of the Grail would fight over it?"

"In a way, yes."

"How old is this family?"

"Hm… If I remember correctly, they must be a few generations older than Einzbern but this family has died out years ago. No one even knows exactly when."

"Died out or remained silent?" He gestured at the profile that was displayed on the screen, "Because according to this, they have been silent and only observed."

"The name Senja, though…" Irisviel hesitated, "It's difficult to think that the Novak family is actually participating."

"Why?"

"That name is only given to illegitimate girls of the Novak. For such an old family, it would speak ill of them to have such a representative."

That would make sense. Magus value honor and respect above all things. Additionally, this one was a mercenary; she was from the same line of business as he was. And if she was really from a family older than the Einzbern, there was a good chance that the family would not have allowed for one of them, bastard or not, to deviate from the path of the Magus. It was possible that she had renounced the family she did not even belong in but why did she keep the name then?

"But look at the Matou." Kiritsugu laid Senja's profile beside Matou Kariya's profile. "The Matou is sending a member who denounced his own family to fight in the noble name. What's to say that the Novak is not doing the same thing?"

Irisviel still seemed reluctant to believe that it was the Novak family itself that was participating in the War. "They've never been interested in this cause though. No one knows enough about the Novak to make an assertion. And the case of Matou Kariya, Matou is a dying family. They are desperate."

There was a moment of silence, both trying to understand the reason behind the connection between the lofty name and the infamous holder of the name. Was she an imposter, then?

"Senja Novak…" Kiritsugu murmured the name as he thought about their similarities. The name was not familiar to him. It must mean that she started becoming notorious when he was brought in by the Einzburn.

"Is she a threat?" His wife asked.

"They are all threats, Iri." He replied as if it was a matter of fact.

"Yes, that is true." She clarified her question "But is this one was dangerous as Kotomine Kirei?"

He remained silent as he compared the minimal information he was given about Senja Novak and the plethora of information about Kotomine Kirei.

"Dangerous in a different aspect." He concluded. "Kotomine Kirei is dangerous in the manner of his existence."

"His manner of existence?"

"This man simply has no desire. He has no wish but why would he throw his life for the a wish-granting relic?"

"Maybe because of the Holy Church? If they believe that the Grail of Fuyuki to be the real one..."

"No. The level of motivation is too low to be appointed then. His inability to see his wish is what makes him terrifying."

"And Senja Novak?"

"Due to the lack of information, it is difficult to say why she participate this war. Her motives would be helpful to understand her nature however, being that she is from the same line of work that I am, Senja Novak can and will think like me the most and understand my techniques the most. She will easily be able to read through my plans and could ruin them."

"But you can do the same thing for her."

"I know but things can get especially difficult with someone who doesn't mind being dishonorable. It was an advantage which I held over the other participants but..."

"Then an alliance with Senja Novak would be most beneficial?"

"As long as our goals are aligned." It was possible.

* * *

 **A/N: So, that was Prologue Part 2. There is one more part then we will officially start with the war. Let me know what you guys think. If the character is too OOC or if there are things to be corrected or improved, let me know. Thank you for reading! A review will be most appreciated. Thank you to those who left reviews on the last chapter and I hope I don't disappoint you guys. Ja ne!**

 **P.S. Am I the only one super hyped that Hunter X Hunter is coming back?**


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